While Julie's world was falling apart, apparently so was the weather. It couldn't decide between snow or rain, and all Julie knew was that it was freezing cold. And that she should have been wearing more sensible clothing but she just got off of a photo shoot.

A voice in the back of her head told her that her modeling days were going to be numbered soon, but she couldn't process it. She was trying to digest her recently acquired information; along with being newly engaged to the love of her life. Who also happened to be dying as she made her way to St. Mungo's.

She was tired and worn and didn't want to risk splinching herself by apparation, so she was taking the slow route. She was pretty sure everyone could hear her panicked breathing as she arrived at the third floor of St. Mungo's; and the nurse walking about definitely heard her panicked tone when she asked where Mark Hunter was.

She didn't need to hear what the nurse said thought because she caught sight of James and ran towards him; a hot mess of running makeup, messy brunette curls, and clicking heels. "Is he alright? James, what happened?"

James had his head in his hands, this day was the absolute worst so far. He noted that he had to shave, and hand his thumbs across his stubble. He heard the quick clicking of heels and he looked up. Julie was a complete mess. Well, so was he. Mark was in critical condition, the Medi-staff had confirmed he was poisoned and forced James out, through a stunning spell and cuffing him to a chair for 5 minutes.

James stood up, the cuffs had been removed. "He was poisoned by the barmaid at the Leaky Cauldron, but I have a feeling that bitch wasn't a waitress, he's critical right now, I don't know if they'll let you see him or not. He's really sick Jules." He felt bad about that last part, but she needed the truth, even if it might crush her future.

Julie almost choked, her heart was pounding and she couldn't stop the burning salty tears running down her face. "Oh my god, why would someone poison him? He's, he doesn't do bad things. James, he isn't a bad guy!" Julie had kept telling herself this on the way here, that her world was happy and perfect; that nothing was going to fall apart.

But it did. It was.

A mediwitch came out and let the two in, and like a magnet, Julie was at Mark's side. "Mark," she gasped through the tears, clutching his cold hand. "I'm so sorry, just; just hang in there for us okay?"

Mark would think of 'us' and Mark and Julie sort of us, but Julie was talking about more than just that kind of us. "Please, Mon Cherie, you can't leave yet." Her tears were wet and hot; and she decided that this was what hell was like. Utter pain and hopelessness, the feeling that you were going to lose the one thing in life that kept you grounded.

As Mark laid in the bed in Saint Mungo's, he was coming to the acceptance of death. He had been poisoned. He was dying. They didn't have an antidote. And he came to the conclusion that Mark Thomas Hunter was going to die in the hospital bed. He couldn't think past his regrets in life. The he didn't love enough. He wasn't close enough with his sister, or his mother, or even his own fiancé. He was selfish, and he put other people in harms way.

Mark had just seen his best friend be dragged out of his room because he wouldn't leave his side, and Mark had such guilt about it. James was his best friend. Did Mark tell him that he was his best friend enough? Did they talk enough? hang out enough? Socialize enough?

The door opened, and in came Julie and James, Julie a hot mess, and James, a distraught adult. Julie ran to his side, and grabbed his hand. Seeing her cry as hard as she was, Mark felt like he was going to cry himself, but he had to be strong. He was Mark Hunter. He was going to be strong.

The burning in his stomach only got worse as the time increased. He lied there, taking the hand that was clutching his stomach, to push some of her hair behind her ear. "Hey, it's going to be alright, okay? Don't worry." He smiled a sideways smile, before continuing to smooth her hair. "I love you, alright, and there's nothing that will get between that. Even death." Saying the words made his chin shake. What if he did die? What if this was the end?

James had promised himself that he wouldn't cry, no matter how emotional things got, he would be strong for Mark and Julie. James kneeled down onto the cold floor, putting his hands on the hospital sheets as mark stroked Julie's hair, and he felt like he was out of place, they needed to be alone, and he had come in here for his own selfishness. But, he didn't want to leave Mark's side. His protective stubbornness came into play here, and he wouldn't move from this spot.

Mark wouldn't die, Mark couldn't die, he was Mark Hunter, his best friend, his only true friend, the brother god forgot to give him. James stared stoned-faced into the eyes that looked at his fiance, the eyes that less than an hour ago, had been filled with the light of life, now the light was fading.

"Mark?" James choked out. "You- you are more of a man than I could ever be, okay? You are stronger than me, and you are strong enough to tough through this, you understand me?" James' nose twitched, he was getting emotional, but no tear would leave his eye unless Mark Hunter died on this day.

Caution: I swore. Once. But I thought I'd worn ya.

Julie clutched at the  hand smoothing her hair; as if it was Julie who needed to be soothed. From what she gathered, Mark was dying. As in gone, never coming back, bye forever... dying. Her lips parted but no words came, a fresh bout of tears spilled over in her dull, brown eyes.

She looked up at James; the one person who always seemed to be strong was crumbling. Falling apart in front of her eyes, and it was too much. If James was allowed to be emotional, then hell; Julie was going to be a fucking hurricane of emotion. "He's right," she said, still looking at James before she looked back down at her fiancee. "You have to make it through this because..."

She really wanted to tell him. God only knew how much Julie wanted to tell him what might have been some of the greatest news of her life, but it was now nothing compared to this tragedy. She couldn't bring herself to say it, because she didn't know what to do about it. Julie stalled, grasping Mark's hand tighter, the other hand protectively cradling her still flat stomach behind the side of the hospital bed.

"Because I love you so much. And we're going to get married, and have lots of little kids. And we're going to have this great big house, and we have to grow old together... and we need to finish our fairy tale Mark. I started this by myself, but I want to finish my story with you. You can't leave me yet, I won't let you."

Mark watched as his friends broke down, James staying strong. Mark was about to reply when another wave of pins and needles came to his stomach. He tilted his face up to the ceiling closing his eyes tightly, squeezing his fiancé's hand. It felt like his stomach was melting slowly but surely. The veins in his neck popped out, as he breathed through gritted teeth. The pain then subsided, and he looked back to Julie. He let out a little laugh. The pain was getting worse by each wave. "We are going to make it through this, you've got it? When you go home tonight, you are not to feel alone, you got that? Because I'm there, and I'm always going to be there. Got it?"

He looked over to James. "You are amazing, James. You were the one who got me to loosen up. You were the one who gave me the courage to meet Julie, and I can't thank you enough, James. You're the best friend, and the best man I could ever have. You were there when I needed someone. You were the one who was there to support me, who helped me through everything." He spat out. "I've got one thing to ask James. Take care of my family. Of my mum and my dad, and Colin and Jane, and little Alice,"

Mark's chin quivered some more, before he got another wave of pain, where his face went back to the agony of his stomach being ripped apart. When he looked back, he felt a tear slide down his cheek. But he gritted his teeth, and sniffed his nose. "We're going to get through this. I've had a good life. I've met the love of my life, and my best friend. I've made mistakes, I've done stupid things. It's hard. It's so hard to leave you two." He said, as another tear followed suit.

"I'm not ready to go yet!" He said in a loud voice, as another tear cascaded down.

James cheek ticked. "You... are not going to die okay? I don't care how much you think this is the end, it's not, okay?" James said, grabbing Mark's clammy hand as he groaned through his pain. "And I promise, but I'm not marrying Jane, if that's what you're thinking." James laughed, inside he was thinking that this was the end of Mark Hunter, but he wouldn't be able to function properly if he died now.

"Of course you're not going yet, I still need to be your best man at your wedding! You and me, we have shit to do, so you are going to live! Alice and your mom, and Julie need you still, so, your gonna live, whether you like it or not."

Mark smiled at his friend's joke and optimism, but his smile dissipated as he realized his fate. It was just too late. "James, this poison is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It works incredibly fast, and I drank an entire cup of it. Now, I don't know how diluted it was or if it was a cocktail of different potions. The end story is this. I'm never going to leave this hospital room alive. My life is over, and I messed up. This is my fault I'm here in the first place. And now, now I'm going to disappear."

Mark closed his eyes slowly then looked up to the ceiling. "The only thing I want now is to make it up there. So I can stay with you guys. So I can be with you guys forever. I don't want to go." He added, once again feeling the eminent fear of death. He felt like a child with this fear clouding his mind.

Julie bit her lip, watching James spill his guts to Mark. Basically. He was all soft and vulnerable and now Julie was shaking. She was facing the reality of losing Mark and that reality was not sitting well with her. She needed him. Now more than ever.

"Mark!" She said, getting his attention, what little was left. "You can't leave because I'm pregnant!"

There. She said it. It was out. "And no, I'm not joking this time!"

Her hands went to cover her face in pure frustration, he couldn't just go off and die right now because she was with child. HIS CHILD! THIS WAS AN ISSUE! There was a mini-Mark or a mini-Julie in her tummy right now, and it was driving her mad that her little it could possibly grow up without a father. And her without the love of her life.

 "Damn you, Hunter!" She shouted, "How could you think of going off and getting yourself poisoned right now!" She said, sobbing through the harsh words that weren't as harsh with her high pitched voice and obvious distress.

Mark looked over to Julie after hearing her announcement. "What? You're what?" His heart beat faster and faster as time seemed to crawl. "I'm, I'm a father. I'm having a child." He then felt tears form once again, some from happiness and others from the idea of his kid growing up without a father. "I'm, Oh my god." He said, bringing a hand to his face, to cover his eyes.

It was then that he thought of all the times he'd miss. The wedding, of seeing Julie in a white dress. Of the birth, seeing his child for the first time. The first steps, the first flight on a broom, the first Honeydukes visit, all the way to the second his child stepped on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. He was going to miss all of it. Quietly, Mark sobbed into his hand, realizing all that he was going to miss.

One more wave of pain came sweeping over him, as he pulled his hand away to grip the sheets, trying to ground himself, and muffle a scream as the pins and needles destroyed his stomach. When the pain subsided, he started to fade away. He knew it was his time. This was it. This was the grand finale.

The flashbacks started. Growing up, being attacked in the diner with Jane, meeting James, going to Hogwarts for the first time, the Carrows, getting home, graduating, meeting Julie and spilling his potions over her dress, all the way up to preposing. He opened his eyes one last time. "I couldn't have asked for better people around me. I love you. Forever and always." It was then that the darkness welcomed Mark, as he slowly slipped unconscious.

The cry of despair was caught in Julie's throat thankfully, but she collapsed against the wall and slid down to the cold floor of the hospital. Was this it? Was he gone forever? Was he really going to leave her now?

Mark was her forever and always. From the day he ruined her favorite dress, to the day he gave her the ring that was on her finger; she had fallen for him over and over. Each day she was head over heels for him. Who the hell knew how such an unlikely pair could have been together, but they were puzzle pieces. And somehow, without forcing them, they just fit.

She wrapped her arms around her midsection as she curled in on herself against the wall, her back flat against it as the tears streamed hot and heavy. It wasn't fair. She wanted more time. She wanted forever with him.

"This isn't fair," she said to herself, her head resting on the tops of her knees as she cried. He was her cuddle buddy, the only one who wouldn't ever complain if she stole the covers, her life size teddy bear. He was hers. He is hers. And that's all she's ever wanted.

"MarkMarkMarkMarkMark, you can't do this us!" James was not panicking. Julie had a bun in the oven, and Mark was unconscious... Just... Great. Jim ran around the hospital bed and sank down the Julie's level, putting his arms around her shoulders as they shook with the sobs that were emitted from her mouth. "He'll be fine... He'll be fine..."

Even though he kept telling himself that, every time he said it, the less meaning it had.